Dont Get Used To Me
By the end of the week, people at Blackthorne had stopped pretending not to notice them.
It became impossible.
Adrian Monteverde picked Lia up after lectures sometimes now.
Not every day.
But enough.
Enough that students openly stared through classroom windows when his black car appeared outside campus buildings.
Enough that gossip pages treated them like celebrity sightings.
Enough that Lia's life no longer felt fully private.
And somehow—
she still hadn't stopped him.
—
Friday evening settled quietly over the city.
Rain threatened again, though it hadn't started yet.
Lia sat inside the campus library trying to finish an essay while exhaustion slowly pressed behind her eyes.
She'd barely slept all week.
Not because of assignments.
Because Adrian occupied entirely too much space inside her head now.
The way he looked at her.
The things he remembered.
The terrifying sincerity behind every confession.
It was overwhelming.
And addictive in a way she hated admitting.
"You're staring at the same page again."
Lia glanced up immediately.
Marco stood beside the table holding two coffees and what looked like concern.
Real concern.
Not teasing like Sienna.
"You disappeared," he added quietly while sitting across from her.
Lia closed her notebook slowly.
"Midterms."
"That's not what I meant."
Silence.
The library remained softly quiet around them while students whispered between bookshelves nearby.
Marco studied her carefully.
"You okay?"
The question should've been simple.
Instead, Lia hesitated.
Because honestly?
She didn't know anymore.
Marco leaned back slightly in his chair.
"He's getting worse."
Her pulse stumbled instantly.
"You say that like he's a disease."
Marco looked unimpressed.
"Lia."
"What?"
"That man watches you like he's guarding something."
The words settled heavily into her chest.
Because part of her already knew that too.
And maybe the scariest part?
She liked it more than she should have.
Before she could respond, Marco lowered his voice carefully.
"I'm serious. Be careful with him."
Lia stared down at the coffee cup warming her hands.
"He's not going to hurt me."
Marco's expression tightened slightly.
"That's not what I'm worried about."
The answer caught her off guard.
She looked up slowly.
"What does that mean?"
Marco hesitated.
Then quietly:
"I think he'd hurt everyone else first."
Silence settled immediately.
Sharp.
Uncomfortable.
Because somehow—
that sounded true.
Too true.
And Lia hated how little that shocked her now.
Before she could answer, the atmosphere inside the library shifted suddenly.
That familiar stillness moved through the room.
Lia's stomach tightened instinctively.
Marco noticed immediately and sighed under his breath.
"You've got to be kidding me."
Lia turned slowly.
Adrian stood near the library entrance.
Black coat.
Dark gloves.
Eyes fixed directly on their table.
The moment he noticed Marco sitting across from her—
his expression cooled instantly.
Not dramatic.
Worse.
Controlled.
Marco muttered quietly:
"See? Murder eyes."
Lia elbowed him lightly beneath the table.
Too late.
Adrian had already started walking toward them.
The closer he got—
the quieter the library became.
Students noticed him automatically now.
Not just because he was powerful.
Because people sensed tension around him.
Especially when Lia was involved.
Adrian stopped beside the table.
His gaze settled on Lia first.
Always first.
"You ignored my messages."
Lia blinked.
"We're in a library."
"You still ignored them."
Marco looked deeply exhausted already.
"I need hazard pay for sitting here."
Adrian finally looked toward him.
Cold.
Measured.
"You're here often lately."
Marco leaned back carefully.
"She's my friend."
Silence.
Then Adrian replied calmly:
"I'm aware."
The atmosphere tightened instantly.
Lia inhaled slowly.
"Okay. Nobody's fighting today."
"I'm not fighting," Adrian answered.
"That somehow never reassures me."
Marco looked toward her.
"Because he says it like someone avoiding prison charges."
Adrian ignored that completely.
Instead, his attention moved toward the untouched coffee beside Lia.
"You haven't eaten."
Lia stared at him.
"How do you always know that?"
"You get quieter when your blood sugar drops."
Marco physically rubbed a hand over his face.
"Nope. Still horrifying."
Lia looked away quickly to hide the warmth creeping into her chest.
Because Adrian sounded so matter-of-fact about caring for her.
Like taking care of her had already become instinct.
Adrian noticed her reaction immediately.
Of course he did.
His gaze darkened slightly before lowering toward the silver ring twisting nervously against her finger.
"You're anxious."
"I wonder why."
A faint flicker touched his mouth briefly.
Then his phone buzzed inside his coat pocket.
He ignored it instantly.
Another vibration followed.
Still ignored.
Marco noticed too.
"You seriously never answer those?"
Adrian's eyes remained on Lia.
"They can wait."
The answer settled quietly between them.
Because everyone already understood the real meaning.
Lia came first.
Always.
And somehow Adrian no longer bothered hiding that.
Marco looked between them carefully now.
Then slowly stood from his chair.
"I suddenly feel unnecessary here."
Lia sighed.
"Marco."
"No, seriously." He pointed subtly toward Adrian. "He's two seconds away from legally declaring ownership."
Adrian spoke before Lia could.
"I already did."
Silence.
Absolute silence.
Marco blinked slowly.
"...See? That."
Lia pressed a hand over her face.
"Adrian."
"What?"
"You cannot say things like that casually."
"Why?"
"Because normal people find them alarming."
Adrian's gaze stayed fixed on her calmly.
"You stopped acting alarmed weeks ago."
Her heartbeat stumbled instantly.
Because unfortunately—
he was right again.
Lia should've been terrified by the things Adrian admitted so openly.
Instead—
she'd started recognizing them as truth.
Possessive truth.
Dangerous truth.
But honest.
And maybe honesty was exactly why he kept slipping past her defenses.
Marco looked between them one final time before shaking his head softly.
"I'm leaving before this turns into whatever psychologically intense thing you two do."
Then he disappeared between the bookshelves.
Leaving Lia alone with Adrian again.
The silence afterward felt heavier now.
More intimate.
Adrian sat in Marco's abandoned chair slowly.
Too naturally.
Like the space already belonged to him.
"You shouldn't push people away because of me," Lia murmured quietly.
Adrian watched her carefully.
"I didn't."
"You make everyone uncomfortable."
"Only people who want your attention."
The possessiveness beneath the words settled warmly and dangerously beneath her ribs.
Lia looked down at her hands.
"That's not healthy."
"No."
The honesty nearly made her laugh.
Adrian leaned slightly closer across the table.
Close enough that his voice lowered naturally.
"You should stop expecting me to behave normally around you."
Lia looked up slowly.
"And if I want normal?"
Something unreadable flickered behind Adrian's eyes.
Not anger.
Something quieter.
Almost wounded.
Then softly—
dangerously softly—
he answered:
"You wouldn't still be here if that were true."
And once again—
Lia couldn't argue with him.